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Hey y’all! So now that I’ve recharged my batteries, I’m ready to tell some more stories(: I kinda left y’all hanging after my Bellamy Brothers story and I didn’t mean to so that being said let me finish talking about my weekend… That was my Friday night and while it would’ve been cool to say I partied like a rockstar with the Bellamy Brothers, let’s be realistic okay? My liver couldn’t handle all that excitement and I’m a little classier than that. So I drove home, crashed, then got up Saturday for the longest 8 hours of work I have ever experienced. (Aside from my early partying days, and yes I partied I’m human not dead!)

My mama was my date that night simply because she loves Jason Boland and the Stragglers and I knew she would have fun despite the smoked filled Longhorn Saloon. Now I forgot to mention in my Bellamy Brothers blog at just how nice the Saloon is. If you’ve never been, you need to go. It’s nice and the atmosphere is clean and good natured. You won’t be bothered with that hip hop madness everyone is raving about. You know that Harlem Shake? I don’t know I seen some people dancing to that and I thought they were either one, having a seizure or two trying to act like a zombie. Moving on… so we got there early and watched the opener band, Downday. Now I ain’t one to say anything negative about bands cause in the music industry it’s tough and you gotta be damn good to get anywhere. These guys know how to rock. It doesn’t matter what they sing they own it, If you ever get the chance to see them, take it you won’t be disappointed especially if you like southern rock.

Before I start telling you about the Jason experience I’m going to tell you why I respect him on so many levels… And yes I’m going to get serious for a minute so no yapping. If you’ve ever been to a red dirt/ Texas music concert you know there’s drinking involved, including the artist on stage or before and after going up to perform. Turnpike Troubadours pass a bottle of whiskey around while performing, I’ve drank beer before and after a Bleu Edmondson concert with Bleu himself, hell I’ve even taken shots with Bo Phillips’ band! So it’s a well known fact there’s alcohol involved and no you don’t have to drink any kind of alcoholic beverage to have fun at a concert. (ask my mama, she drank water the whole night.) Jason grew up in a little town outside of Shawnee, Oklahoma and then went to college in Stillwater where he was in fraternity. As everyone knows, when you’re living in a college town it’s a constant party where drinking is involved and Jason going to college, in a frat, being an artist playing in bars was consuming the alcohol. Eventually down the road he checked into rehab and turned his life around. THIS IS WHY HE HAS MY RESPECT! Yes I just yelled at you. Not many artist openly admit they made a trip to rehab for alcoholism but he is. Don’t believe me? Go read his website and its there. Also… oh yeah there’s more… After rehab, three years later, he ruptued a polyp on his vocal chord and it was said he might not ever be able to sing again. After all the trials and tribulations he’s now alcohol free, healthy and newly happily married. Bet you respect someone who has faced several hiccups in their career now don’t ya?

Him drinking alcohol has no affect on his live shows. I’ve seen him while he’s been drinking on stage and I’ve seen him sober on stage, the show he puts on is just damn good. Jason’s sound is more of the older country like the older George Strait, Merle Haggard stuff. Fiddles and steel guitar (sigh) I love me some fiddles in a country song. Nothing is more country than a fiddle in a song, except sweet tea and I love that too…

Whether he’s singing about cheap bourbon whiskey and pearl snap shirts or about being somewhere down in Texas you can’t help but love a song or two or everyone he’s recorded and released. And his show at the Longhorn? It sold out and was full of lifetime and new fans of the Stragglers. His original fiddler was out so guess who filled in? Randy Crouch! I’ll admit I was about 5 beers in and mistakened him for Bob Childers… Don’t laugh or judge my vision was impaired and all I knew was there was a living legend on stage alright?! Jason didn’t let the crowd down and I didn’t hear one bad thing said about the show. Afterwards, he came out to the merch booth, signed autographs and took pictures with the fans. Something that he’s probably done since 1999… Proud daughter moment was when my mama stood beside him smiled and got a pic with one of my bucket list artist. I couldn’t be more proud to say she is my mama and she knows damn good music(: Until next time y’all!